The applicant proposes to study the amounts of wealth heirs would receive for varying levels of population increase with a focus on the number of children sharing inheritances. If an economic elite were to perpetuate an economic elite in another generation, its strength should be embedded in inheritances dealing with children of deceased. Research will be directed to determining level and inequality of amounts of inheritance of heirs if families were to have projected numbers of children as suggested in Census reports. The effects of this on the distribution of wealth among living of all and specific age groups will be examined. Several sources of data will be developed including probability samples of Ohio inheritance tax data for 1961-70 on deceased and heirs and 1860 U.S. Census data on sons and wealth of fathers.